Local people decide how £350,000 in council cash is spent
Some 800 local residents cast their votes in the area’s first ever Participatory Budget ballot to decide which community groups should benefit from a £350,000 pot of Inverclyde Council cash.
The ballot was held between 28 February and 7 March with voting stations located across Inverclyde.
Some £50,000 was up for grabs in each of Inverclyde’s seven council wards. The Participatory Budget ballot was open to all Inverclyde residents over 16 years old.
Councillor Jim Clocherty, Convener of Inverclyde Council’s Education & Communities Committee, said, “The idea behind Participatory Budgeting is that local community groups generate ideas for projects. People then vote for the projects that best match their priorities and the projects with the most votes get a share of the cash.
“It’s an effective way of putting direct control of council cash into the hands of local communities. In this, Inverclyde’s first ever Participatory Budget ballot, those local communities have made the fundamental decisions on how nearly £270,000 should be spent.”
Under the ballot projects had to secure at least 10% of the votes cast to be eligible for funding. The groups that got the highest number of votes received a share of the £50,000 available in their ward.
Voters ranked their preferences 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Below is a list of the successful projects:
|
Organisation |
Brief Details |
Amount Awarded |
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Ward 1 (All 5 Applicants) |
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Port Glasgow Community Association |
Support to erect CCTV to combat issues of vandalism, anti-social behaviour, fly tipping and crime. |
£13,000.00 |
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Greenock Morton Community Trust |
Support for free football camps to children living in Greenock East, delivered 3 times per year in partnership with Riverclyde Homes |
£13,049.00 |
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Kilmacolm Art Class |
Support for annual hire of premises and hire of Kilmacolm Community Centre for exhibition |
£500.00 |
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Kilmacolm Playgroup and Toddlers |
Requesting funding for promotional campaign to increase users as well as support for running costs and to reinstate local breastfeeding group. |
£3,760.34 |
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St Marys Episcopal Church |
Support for transport for service users of Heartland Circle - weekly group for older people living with or affected by Dementia |
£1,410.00 |
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Ward 2 (All 4 Applicants) |
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Gibshill Community Centre |
Support to improve landscaping at outdoor area; permanent signage for Centre; set up for a Teen Music Café and Skills Build Project - Bricks4Kids (new addition to current youth club) |
£16,004.00 |
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Parklea Bowling Club |
Support towards general running costs of Club |
£2,100.00 |
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Port Glasgow Bowling Club |
Support for outdoor benches; new floor in function hall and new chairs, tables and carpet |
£12,300.00 |
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Port Glasgow West Community Council |
Support to erect CCTV to combat issues of vandalism, anti-social behaviour, fly tipping and crime |
£13,000.00 |
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Ward 3 (4 of the 6 Applicants) |
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Auchmountain Glen Project |
Support towards design of entrance feature for Auchmountain Glen |
£10,000.00 |
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Auchmountain Resource Centre |
Support to provide a lunch club for the elderly/carers two days per week |
£7,150.00 |
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Craigend Resource Centre |
Funding for Community mini bus to support those who are less mobile and encourage people to get active within the community. Wish to address social isolation. |
£25,200.00
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Kings Oak Parent Circle |
Support to arrange and host a school and community folk festival. Local event required to increase awareness of the Parent Circle and school provision to help alleviate isolation for those parents who would not normally attend due to costs |
£2,000.00 |
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Ward 4 (3 of the 7 Applicants) |
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Caddlehill Allotment & Gardens |
Support towards the creation of a wildlife garden. Work to be undertaken in partnership with Duke of Edinburgh and thereafter to be used by people suffering with early stages of Alzheimers |
£7,000.00 |
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Fort Matilda Bowling Club |
Funding towards the upgrade of clubhouse - toilets, access and expansion of usable floor area |
£25,000.00 |
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Clydeside Athletic FC |
Support towards the start-up of new football club for 2007 age group. Funding towards strips and equipment |
£2,387.60 |
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Ward 5 (3 of the 5 Applicants) |
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Gourock Golf Club |
Drive to open up club to the community - only limitation is lack of disabled access to the upper floor. Wish to install a simplified lift to connect upper and lower floors |
£16,589.00 |
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Gourock Heritage & Arts |
Theatre without walls is a collaborative project between Gourock Heritage, Gourock Regeneration Forum and Gourock Schools and Churches Together Group. Project will be based at the Centre with an outdoor remit making use of Gourock Park, George Wylie Garden and Ashton Promenade. Project will create a platform to share and celebrate heritage past, present and future through workshops, drama/plays, script writing and story telling |
£16,896.00 |
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Gourock Park Bowling Club |
Support towards the purchase of 9 hole crazy golf course for the benefit of local residents and tourists – to be located on grounds of bowling club |
£15,200.00 |
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Ward 6 (4 of the 5 Applicants) |
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33rd Greenock & District Scout Group |
Support for the purchase of second hand minibus, hike tents, mess tent and rucksacks - bigger supply would enable more to participate in camping experience |
£9,065.00 |
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Children in Poverty |
Support towards holiday project which provides much needed summer break for 20 families and also Christmas pantomime trip, providing opportunity for families on low income who would not be able to afford this experience |
£9,375.00 |
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Inverkip Community Initiative |
Kip Community Sound Project – project to enhance the overall sound, acoustics and visual aesthetics of the main hall at the Hub. If successful with grant, the Hub would be able to offer affordable alternatives to larger local venues and put on a wide range of music events and shows |
£12,000.00 |
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Wemyss Bay Community Association |
Centre has been heavily utilised over the years and kitchen area is in dire need of an upgrade. Need to change to be competitive for business. Support towards new kitchen, installation and associated plumbing and electrical works |
£10,000.00 |
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Ward 7 (All Applicants) |
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Alzheimer Scotland - Action on Dementia |
Music as therapy has the potential to unlock memories that other activities cannot. Seeking funds to start a 'Musical Minds' singing and music group in Inverclyde – group targeted at people with dementia, their carers, families and friends but is open to the whole community to enjoy |
£2,000.00 |
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Inverclyde Gaelic Learners Group |
Wish to research the history of Gaels who came to Greenock in the past or emigrated to new lands with interest in the effect this had on the area and how the Gaelic community survived and integrated. Group propose to make a film which will draw together the products of research and be shown to other groups |
£25,000.00 |
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The projects listed below did not achieve 10% of the community vote. |
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Ward 3 |
Funding Requested |
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Inverclyde Music Festival Association |
£2,000.00 |
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Ward 4 |
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49f Greenock Squadron ATC |
£10,823.00 |
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Greenock Central Residents Action Group |
£26,009.74 |
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Mind Mosaic Counselling & Therapy |
£12,600.00 |
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RIG Arts |
£5,311.00 |
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The projects listed below did not receive a grant allocation given their rank order would have exceeded the £50K per Ward allocation |
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Ward 3 |
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Belville Community Garden Trust |
£12,600.00 |
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Ward 5 |
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Gourock Creative |
£23,500.00 |
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Inverclyde Cricket Club |
£1,740.00 |
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Ward 6 |
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Branchton Community Centre |
£10,000.00 |